Three months had passed since Garry had left. It had not been easy, but somehow Ib found her strength renewed with each rising sun. She had learned to play her guitar rather well, but would make mistakes from time to time. Happy that Roy and Mary seemed to be closer than ever, it made her think about how she had wronged Garry. Many times, she would hold back and close herself from him; that was how she had always been. As always, Garry was patient with her. It pained her that their first kiss was also a kiss of departure, but she held onto it to keep her strength up. Only a couple times had she and Garry talked on the phone, and she wished they could talk more.

Another thing had happened as well. She had made a new friend one day while practicing her guitar at her college. She had been beside the fountain when he approached her, gave her a few pointers, and introduced himself as Mason Howards. They became friends rather easily, and he seemed to be a rather nice young man. Usually, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he would meet Ib at the fountain, where they would talk and practice playing guitar together. He was easy to talk to, that was for sure, and he was certainly nice to Ib. Roy did not like him, and Ib was not sure why. Mary gave the impression that she did not like him too well either, but she was nicer to him than Roy. Ib had told Mason about Garry, to which Mason simply smiled, but nothing more.

One afternoon, while practicing at the fountain, Mason found her and silently watched her, unbeknownst to her. After some time, he walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, which scared her and made her squeak from fright. They laughed at this for a moment.

"You're getting so much better," he smiled at her, "but there are still some things you're messing up on. Here, let me show you."

He then took Ib's hands into his and began to show her some new concepts. Ib thought it nice of him to do so, but also that the way he was tenderly holding her hands was odd. Mason was nice, and she was glad for their friendship. Indeed, she was very lonely, but she never gave him a second glance. Handsome with dark blue eyes and jet black hair, Ib wondered why he was single.

All at once, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Roy call her name. She looked out to see him with a smile on his face. Immediately, Mason let go of her.

"It's time for class. You ready?" Roy asked.

"Yup!" Ib nodded. She turned and put her guitar back in its case, stood up, and said bye to Mason. She then ran to Roy and on past him a bit- when Roy made sure that he was out of Ib's line of vision, he shot Mason a stern look before following Ib.

That night, after they both got home from work, Roy decided to sit Mary down and talk about Mason and Ib.

"I don't trust him, Mary," Roy spoke. "How he's acting around her… and he knows she's in a relationship with Garry."

"…I hate to say it, but I don't trust him, either," Mary agreed. "He's sneaky, Roy… Garry's not here to do anything, and Ib doesn't know that he's trying to slip in and create a wedge while Garry is absent."

Roy bit his lip, both angered and worried. "We can't leave her alone with him. What if he tries something? Ib's too nice to-"

"Don't underestimate Ib," Mary smirked. "She can hold her own."

Roy shook his head. "No. I don't fully know what Mason is capable of. They've been friends going on two months now. With Garry not here, it's up to us. I promised him I would take care of her."

Mary knew Roy was right. They decided that they would try to always be around whenever Mason and Ib were together. If they couldn't, they hoped that Ib would be able to withstand the temptations and recognize what he was doing. A week passed by, and certainly, there were times they could not be there around Ib and Mason all the time. Ib was consistently improving with the guitar, much to her happiness. Mason would wait on her every Tuesday and Thursday as usual, and would often appear sad to see her leave for the next class.

While spending time with Mason, Ib found out much about him. He came from a large family; he had four brothers and two sisters, and he was in the middle. Very much a family man, he missed his family while he was away at college. Responsible and dependable, he would look after even his older siblings while growing up. He was twenty-one, and in school to become an engineer. His oldest brother taught him to play the guitar, a feat he was especially proud of. Ib was grateful for their friendship, but her parents, Roy, and Mary knew that Mason perhaps wanted more. Oblivious, Ib continued to spend more time with Mason. Mary and Roy tried to make sure that Mason was good to her, but they were often busy at times, which made it difficult.

One day, Mason was running late to meet Ib at the fountain. He came up from behind to hear her playing an unfamiliar song. It sounded beautiful, and he could hear her humming to it. For a moment or two, he just stood there and listened. Finally, he made his presence known as he walked up and sat down beside her.

"That sounded lovely," he spoke, startling her.

"Wh-what? How long-"

"Long enough," he smiled. "What song is that? I've never heard it."

Ib's cheeks turned scarlet. "Well… that's because it's something I'm working on."

"Oh? Oh! That's amazing, Ib! What's it for? Class?"

Ib looked at her guitar with such adoration in her eyes. Even before she answered, Mason had a feeling who she was going to say. "It's for Garry."

"For when he comes back?"

She nodded. "Yes. I want to impress him. To show him that all this time, he's been on my mind and that I've missed him so much."

Mason felt as though he had been punched. "After all this time, and you still love him just as deeply…"

"Of course I do," she agreed, not knowing of Mason's strife. At this, Mason reached out and cupped Ib's face in his hand. This caused a small amount of shock to her, and her eyes widened. When she looked into his eyes, she was confused to see sadness, but also happiness and adulation.

"Garry is lucky, Ib…" he spoke quietly, "…to have someone like you to love him."

He then stood up and started to walk away. It hit Ib then; she understood what Mason had meant. She stood up, a horrible feeling in her chest.

"Mason!" she cried out. Mason stopped and turned slightly. "Let's… let's still be friends, okay?"

Mason stood still for a moment. A faint smile spread across his face. "Time… give me time." He then walked away, leaving Ib alone at the fountain. She stared after him for quite some time, a cheerless feeling in her chest. Never did she want to hurt anyone, and Mason was her friend. She looked up at the cloudy sky; it had previously been raining, and the clouds were just starting to break, the sun giving them a silver lining. Her heart ached, for she missed Garry so much. She had remained so strong for so long, never releasing a tear, but as of right now, she was so close to breaking. Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on the side of the fountain and began to play her song. Unable to refrain any longer, tears began to slide down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, her fingers picking the notes to the guitar, and imagined Garry's smiling face. She promised that when he returned, she would let him know how much he meant to her.

All at once, she felt a hand clasp one of her own. Startled, she opened her eyes and looked to her left- her heart stopped. The breath steeled in her lungs, and her body seemed as if it was unable to move. Sound was incapable of escaping her lips.

He smiled at her warmly, the love in his eyes nearly too much to bear.

"Dry those tears, love. I'm here to stay now."

Despite the many students crossing the courtyard, Ib could not refrain from jumping up and latching her arms around his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. Ib looked to see Roy and Mary standing a distance away, smiles on their faces (and tears on Mary's cheeks). It was as if they were the only ones in the world right now; the other students did not exist, but merely became colors in the background. The only thing she could hear was the beating of his heart. Finally, she found her voice.

"…This is real," she whispered.

Garry smiled and held her tighter. "I've missed you, Ib."

Ib pulled away from him just enough to where she could stand on her tiptoes and kiss him. She had wanted to taste and feel those lips on her own for far too long, and it embarrassed her that she felt herself blush. When they pulled away, Roy and Mary made their way up to them, Mary wiping the tears away from her eyes. Roy informed Garry that Ib had been working on a secret song, to which Garry smiled and looked at Ib.

"Well, now, that's a surprise. Will you play it for me?"

Ib laughed. "Since it's for you, I suppose it would only be right."

She sat down and picked up her guitar. She strummed a couple of times, then began to pick, the sound of the song lovely. Soon, she let the words to the song flow from her lips.

"As the rain fell on the earth and dampened my shoes
I stood alone with my umbrella closed and held to my side
Water feels liberating sometimes, wouldn't you agree?
Invisible sins being washed away with the falling redemption
The only things that won't be washed away are the bonds we share

"*If going alone is what brings us back together, I'll walk away without a sound
Eyes set on the ever-winding path which no one has trod
My legs quake, for the distance is surely to be long
If all of those I love are at the end of this road, I'll readily make the strides
Their smiles and mirth help me to believe in someone such as myself*

"The pitter-patter of the rain came to a stop, and a silver-lining could be seen
Accustomed to the dimness, my eyes had to adjust to this new light
In it, I could have sworn to have seen the hope I had been searching for
Hearts connected in this one sky, I took the first step on the empty road

"*If going alone is what brings us back together, I'll walk away without a sound
Eyes set on the ever-winding path which no one has trod
My legs quake, for the distance is surely to be long
If all those I love are at the end of this road, I'll readily make the strides
Their smiles and mirth help me to believe in someone such as myself*

"**As the sun breaks through the clouds, I'll continue to go alone
Afraid to just allow the memories of us to disappear, I'll continue to believe in myself
If all those I love are at the end of this road, I'll readily make the strides
Their smiles and mirth help me to believe…**

"***If all those I love are at the end of this road…
Their smiles and mirth help me to believe…***"

When she finished the song, people had gathered around to listen, amazed at her talent and the beauty in the song's words. Garry sat beside her, his hand on her leg, a smile on his face. She had done so wonderfully, and he could not have been more proud of her. All he could do was commend her performance and thank her over and over for still loving him and for developing the song. She had been so patient, so true, and he knew that he could not be without her.

The next two weeks were spent together. Mary and Roy would accompany them some, but only when they were invited, and even then they would back out so that the two could catch up. Garry walked with a limp, but no one paid it any mind. The new scars did not matter either, and the only one that could be vividly seen- above his right eyebrow- was not an issue either. Sometimes, he would get frustrated at how slow his pace was, and that they would have to slow down so he could keep up with them, but they all assured him they did not mind at all. Ib let him know every day how much she loved him, and she would kiss him without hesitation.

One evening, while over at Garry's, they were stuck inside due to the rain. Garry had excused himself to the bathroom, but merely seconds later, he returned with a cupcake in his hands. The cupcake had a lit candle on it, and his face was beaming with joy.

"Happy birthday, Ib!"

Ib jerked. "Oh my gosh. I had completely forgotten!"

Garry laughed. "How can you forget your own special day? I know it's tomorrow, but I wanted to celebrate it today, just the two of us. Is that okay?"

Ib giggled as he handed her the cupcake. "Of course, it's okay! I'll make a wish!" She then blew out her candle, then went to the kitchen, got a knife, and cut the cupcake in half. When she handed half of it to Garry, he declined. "Dork, don't you know that if you don't eat some of it, the wish won't come true?"

Garry laughed once more. "Well, in that case, allow me."

They ate their halves on the cupcake and spent more time enjoying each other's company. They watched old movies, such as Twelve Angry Men (one of Garry's favorites), Casablanca, and The Wizard of Oz. The rain continued to pour heavily outside, and since Garry had picked Ib up, Ib's parents were still concerned since the accident. They permitted that Ib could stay the night, since the morning would be beautiful and clear. Luckily, Garry had an extra toothbrush for Ib to use that night and the next morning. After dinner, they started to watch the second part of The Godfather, but before long, they found that their attentions were not on the movie, but on each other.

Their kisses intensified with each passing moment. Ib felt Garry's lip trail down to the nape of her neck, and she could not help but make a small moan. She had wanted him for a long time, and not that it was happening, it seemed so surreal. She took off her shirt and started to kiss Garry, but he stopped her, which confused her.

"Ib," he whispered, his eyes locked onto hers, "there's only so much I can take. Tell me now before I can't control myself anymore. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Ib smiled at Garry and kissed him. "I am positive."

They resumed kissing, and before long, neither of them had any clothing on, and Garry was carrying Ib to his bedroom. Once there, nothing was held back. They had held back for far too long, and tonight belonged to them. The passion they exchanged, the words whispered and the moans and sighs unconstrained was like a soul release. Their bodies as one, they shared a connection that expressed so much love and zeal that was nearly too much to bear for the both of them. Emotion, sweat, and love merged into one, and it was all too right and too real. At first, Ib was afraid that she may accidentally hurt Garry, but he assured her not to worry about him. At the end, spent, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Ib awoke to see Garry still asleep beside her, his back turned toward her. Her cheeks burned from mortification; she had really done a number on his back with her nails. She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the scar above his eye, then got up and prepared for the day. When Garry woke, he did the same, and took Ib to her house, where her family, Mary, Roy, and Shane were waiting to celebrate Ib's birthday with her. As the day progressed, they had so much fun, and there was so much laughter. During sunset, though, things became serious. Garry took Ib by the hand, and when he did this, everyone got quiet, which confused Ib.

"So, Ib, it's your birthday today, and I bet you're wondering why you haven't gotten a gift from me yet," he began.

"What? No," Ib nervously laughed. "I told you, no one had to get me anything."

"I know what you told me," Garry smiled, "but I got you something, anyway. Just… listen to what I have to say first." Ib nodded, unsure where Garry was going with all this. He nodded back and kept his eyes on her. "We've been through a lot together, you and I. When I was away, I thought about you all the time… about how I wanted nothing more than to have you there beside me, just like you always have been. When I came back, I was so scared that you wouldn't love me anymore… but my fears were for nothing. It was then that I realized that I didn't want to live without you."

Ib's mouth slowly fell open. "You mean…"

Garry reached in his pocket and pulled out a silver ring that had two diamonds on the sides and a ruby in the middle. He knelt down on one knee, although rather slowly due to his leg. "I love you, Ib. I'll be yours forever… if only you'll say yes to me."

Ib could not stop from smiling. Her heart seemed to beat out of her chest, and the oxygen from her lungs had dissipated. Yet, she could still speak. "Yes, Garry, yes! A thousand times, yes!"

Garry laughed, stood up, and slipped the ring on Ib's finger. He then leaned his forehead against hers. "You are my support and my most precious treasure. We'll face whatever is to come together… hand in hand."